Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40267940›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain.

T J U Thompson, D Errickson, Christine McDonnell, Malin Holst, Anwen Caffell, John Pearce, Rebecca L Gowland

Abstract readHistorical Article
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

T J U ThompsonDepartment of Anthropology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0003-3265-524X
D ErricksonCranfield's Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, Bedford, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-9792-671X
Christine McDonnellYork Archaeological Trust, York, United Kingdom.
Malin HolstYork Osteoarchaeology Ltd, York, United Kingdom.
Anwen CaffellYork Osteoarchaeology Ltd, York, United Kingdom.
John PearceDepartment of Classics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Rebecca L GowlandDepartment of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The spectacle of Roman gladiatorial combat captures the public imagination and elicits significant scholarly interest. Skeletal evidence associated with gladiatorial combat is rare, with most evidence deriving from written or visual sources. A single skeleton from a Roman cemetery outside of York where gladiators arguably were buried presented with unusual lesions. Investigation, including comparative work from modern zoological institutions, has demonstrated that these marks originate from large cat scavenging. Thus, we present the first physical evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat from the Roman period seen anywhere in Europe.

Indexed as

Bone and BonesOsteologyRoman WorldAnimalsCatsCemeteriesHistory, AncientHumansUnited Kingdom

Identifiers

PMID40267940
PMCPMC12017832

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.